Elizabeth Davies: Rivalries revealed on game day

Elizabeth Davies

Friday

Jan 21, 2011 at 12:01 AMJan 21, 2011 at 8:15 PM

In my world — Illinois, but mere miles from the Wisconsin border — the universe outside of the NFL will cease to exist Sunday afternoon. The men in my life will don their green-and-gold and remain glued to the television set until their team clinches a Super Bowl spot.

If you’re reading this Sunday, there’s a pretty good chance that one of three things are true:

a. It’s before 2 p.m.

b. It’s after 5 p.m.

c. You live in the Alaskan outback.

In my world — Illinois, but mere miles from the Wisconsin border — the universe outside of the NFL will cease to exist Sunday afternoon. The men in my life will don their green-and-gold and remain glued to the television set until their team clinches a Super Bowl spot.

Likewise, our less-fortunate friends will no doubt be in their blue-and-orange best. Bitter words, draped in jest, will be passed along with the plate of wings.

No doubt, even the nonfootball fans among us will garner some degree of interest in today’s game. Living where we do, amid a virtual melting pot of Packer and Bear devotees, the sports conversations are just too difficult to ignore.

Next to game day food, rivalry is perhaps my favorite part of football.

It’s been some 70 years since these rival teams went up against each other for the championship game. That calls for a little trash-talking, even when such insults are being thrown on a Sunday and in church.

The last time we had a Packers-Bears game, the tension in the church lobby was intense — and it wasn’t even a playoff game. Someone looked at my kid’s Packer gear and muttered something about child abuse. I took in his blue-and-orange and retorted, “Your wife lets you out of the house looking like that?”

Of course, I hold a secret very close to my vest, for fear of what Bears folk would say if they found out: I’m actually from Chicago. As a little girl, I had blue and orange pom-poms that I shook at the television set, and I knew “The Super Bowl Shuffle” by heart.

But over the years, I cared less and less about football until my husband — a tried-and-true Cheesehead — took the time to explain the nuances of the game. It happened to be during the heat of Brett Favre fever, and the Packers were infinitely more entertaining than the Bears.
What can I say? I’m a fickle football fan. Well, that and I’m not sure Packer fans are allowed to marry outside of their team. So really, I became a traitor for the sake of marital bliss.

On this day, my worlds will collide with a game that promises nothing less than high drama — on the field and in living rooms alike. And of course, that’s what a good football season is all about: Culminating in ranch dressing and rivalries, with lots of big plays on the field and big numbers on the scoreboard.

So when Monday rolls around, let there be just some gentle ribbing from the victors for good measure. Not so much as to rub salt in the wounds, of course. That would be poor sportsmanship.

From the losing team? A head held high for a job well done, and a gentleman’s handshake for an effort well spent.

And a round of Tums for everyone, because there isn’t much time to recover before it’s time for the Super Bowl feast to begin.